1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a recording medium on which a program is recorded, which makes it possible for characters in a game space to handle objects, and an entertainment system that plays the game according to the program.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, a game machine that employs a television receiver has a game machine main unit that is connected to the television receiver, which is used as a display device, and an operation device which is connected to the game machine main unit by a connection cable and controls the display characters displayed on the display screen of the television receiver.
Built into the main unit that comprises the game machine are a disk drive unit which plays a recording medium, for example, an optical disk, on which the game program is recorded, and an image processing device, etc. for displaying display characters, together with the background screen, on the screen of the television receiver in accordance with the game program recorded on the optical disk.
Multiple operation parts are arranged on the operation device that is connected to the game machine main unit. By manipulating the multiple operation parts provided on the operation device, the user inputs to the image processing device instruction information concerning the actions of display characters to be displayed on the display screen of the television receiver, and controls the direction of movement of the display character, etc. according to the instruction information, thereby playing the game.
The operation device used in a game machine of this type is used held in the hands and fingers of the player. Arranged on one side of the device main unit is a direction instruction operation unit having a direction instruction operation button in a + or circular shape, and arranged on the other side of the machine main unit is a function setting and execution unit having multiple function setting and execution buttons which set the action functions of the display character or execute the actions. The direction instruction operation unit has four switches, arranged in mutually perpendicular directions, equipped with operation parts that connect and disconnect with contacts. The display character is moved by selectively turning these switches on and off by means of a direction instruction operation unit that has a + or circular shape. For example, among the four switches arranged in mutually perpendicular directions, the display character is made to move digitally in the direction in which the switches that are turned on are arranged. In the function setting and execution unit, switches are arranged corresponding to multiple function setting and execution operation parts, and by turning on the switch that corresponds to a function setting and execution operation part, the function of the display character assigned to each button is set, or the function that the display character has is executed.
In a direction instruction operation unit of the above-described operation device, only instruction signals are given that cause movement operations in the direction in which the switches that are turned on are arranged, among the four switches arranged in mutually perpendicular directions, and thus it is impossible to give command information that would cause a display character to rotate or to change the direction of its gaze while moving forward. This makes it difficult to construct game programs using display characters that perform a variety of actions.
With the switches that constitute the direction instruction operation unit, by on/off operation by operating the direction instruction operation unit, one can only give instruction information that controls the movement of the display character, with the result that the movement of the display character is intermittent, and it is impossible to cause a continuous series of movements.
Thus operation devices have been proposed that have an operation unit that makes it possible to input command signals that make it possible for a display character to move while rotating, or to move while varying its speed, or to make movements in which its shape is made to change.
One operation device of this type is described in unexamined Japanese patent application publication H7-88252 [1995].
Recently there has been a desire to have games that simulate human actions more closely, by allowing characters in game space to hold objects such as weapons or tools, and playing the game while allowing them to handle such objects with fine movements.
But playing a game while allowing characters to handle objects is done by having the player manipulate the operation device, which makes the user interface more complicated.
It is an object of the present invention, to avoid disadvantages of the above described prior art and provide a recording medium on which a program is recorded, which allows characters in a game space to handle objects by having the player perform on the operation device a movement that is related to the way in which the object would actually be handled, and an entertainment system that plays the game in accordance with the program recorded on the recording medium.
These and other objects of the invention are attained by recording medium on which a program is recorded that advances a game by causing prescribed characters on a display screen to perform actions according to wishes of a player by an input operation device, wherein the recorded program makes enables an object of a character to move in a game space analogously in two dimensions by having the player move with his fingers the operation parts of the input operation device by movements that are related to how the object is actually handled.
The objects of the present invention are also attained by an entertainment system in which a player plays the game by causing a prescribed character on a display screen of th e entertainment system to act as intended, comprising an input operation means by which commands by the player are inputted; a memory medium for storing a program that makes it possible to cause characters in a game space to handle objects by having the player make with his fingers on said input operation means movements that are related to how an object is actually handled; and a control means for controlling the actions of player characters on the display screen based on said program stored in said memory medium and commands from said input operation means.
The control means analogously moves said object. by detecting the amount of two-dimensional movement of an operation part of the input operation means.
This ability to provide the operation of the input operation means that is related to the actual operation of the object can improve the user interface.